SIR RIDLEY SCOTT (Director / Producer) recently earned his third
Academy Award nomination and second Directors Guild nod as Best Director for his
stunning recreation of the Mogadishu Battle in Somalia in "Black Hawk
Down", one of 2001's biggest hits. The year previous, he received his
second Academy nomination for "Gladiator", which won five Oscars out
of a total 12 nominations, including Best Picture, and earned Scott additional
nominations from BAFTA and the Directors Guild. "Gladiator" also won
Golden Globe and BAFTA Awards for Best Picture, further solidifying Scott's
reputation as one of the industry's most innovative, influential and versatile
stylists.

Born in South Shields, Northumberland, England, Scott grew up in London, Cumbria,
Wales and Germany before returning to Northeast England to live in
Stockton-on-Tees. He excelled in graphic design and painting at West Hartlepool
College of Art, strengths that would later serve as his screen signature, and
studied at London's Royal Academy of Art, where he completed his first film.
Upon graduating with honors, Scott was awarded a traveling scholarship to the
U.S., where he gained valuable experience working with award-winning
documentarians Richard Leacock and D.A. Pennebaker while employed at Time Life.
Returning to the U.K., he joined the BBC as a production designer and, within a
year, graduated to directing many of the network's popular television programs.

Three years later he left to form his own company, RSA, which soon became one of
the most successful commercial production houses in Europe and subsequently
added offices in New York and Los Angeles. Scott directed more than 3,000
commercials, including Channel's captivating "Share the Fantasy" and a
memorable Apple Computer spot aired during the 1984 Super Bowl. His work
collected awards at the Venice and Cannes Film Festivals and was honored by the
New York Art Directors' Club. RSA still maintains a high profile in the global
marketplace, representing some of the most acclaimed directors in film and
advertising.

Scott leapt from commercial production to movies in 1978 with "The
Duellists", a Napoleonic War saga that brought him the Jury Prize at
Cannes. His second film, the groundbreaking sci-fi thriller "Alien",
switched gears from the past to the frightening future and earned an Oscar for
Visual Effects. Scott's next feature, the landmark masterpiece "Blade
Runner", starring Harrison Ford, is still considered a milestone of
contemporary filmmaking. Nominated by the Academy for art direction and visual
effects, it became the youngest film to be honored by inclusion in the National
Film Archives.

Scott went on to direct the big screen fantasy "Legend", starring Tom
Cruise, the urban thriller "Someone to Watch Over Me", with Tom
Berenger, and the cross-cultural gangster epic "Black Rain", with
Michael Douglas and Andy Garcia. In 1987 he formed Percy Main Productions to
develop and produce feature films. Its first project, which he helmed, was
"Thelma and Louise", starring Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis. The film
received five Academy Award nominations, including Scott's first as Best
Director, won for Best Original Screenplay, and picked up BAFTA nominations for
Best Picture and Best Director. He followed with the historic epic "1492:
Conquest of Paradise" and "The Browning Version", produced by
Scott and starring Albert Finney and Greta Scacchi.

In 1995, with brother Tony (also a successful filmmaker), he formed Scott Free
Productions, which produced "White Squall", "G.I. Jane" and
the blockbuster sequel "Hannibal", all directed by Scott, as well as
"Clay Pigeons" and "Where the Money Is", the caper comedy
starring Paul Newman. A